Law & Order: Special Victims Unit boasts countless dynamite guest stars, and we’re shining a spotlight on the goosebump-inducing performance delivered by Ethan Slater.

As the curtain rises on Wicked: For Good on November 21, it should come as no surprise that some of its powerhouse cast have landed on Law & Order: SVU. The NBC nail-biter has long been hailed as a magnet for electrifying guest stars, and Slater’s 2018 guest performance is a glimmering example. Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her elite squad have crossed paths with hundreds of heinous criminals. Still, Slater’s performance as a vengeful incel left Benson with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Slater’s 2018 episode of Law & Order: SVU boasts ripped-from-headlines insanity and a winding investigation jam-packed with twists and turns. Here’s what happened:

Ethan Slater’s SVU episode was full of twists and turns

After a helmeted pizzaman broke into an apartment to beat a man unconscious before assaulting his girlfriend, the SVU worked hard to track down the mysterious perpetrator. After learning the assailant had referred to the couple by the wrong names during the attack — “Chad” and “Stacey” — the squad suspected that the perpetrator was hired to complete the assault and mistakenly hit the wrong apartment.

When another assault took place under identical circumstances, the detectives realized they were dealing with multiple perpetrators who were potentially all in on it. Once a victim revealed she’d previously been followed by a data processor named Riley Porter, the squad brought him in for questioning. Riley then claimed that rape didn’t exist; sex with women was a constitutional right in his mind. After Riley denied any involvement in the assaults, another couple, John and Carol, were attacked, but this time John was murdered while the assailant told Carol that “O’Riley” would have loved assaulting her.

This attack led Benson to realize that the assailants were swapping assaults with other perpetrators as an effort to provide themselves with alibis and hide scorned connections to their victims. The “Chad” is any man who got in the way of their love connection with a “Stacey.” A.D.A. Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) schooled the detectives on the online community of incels, “involuntarily celibate” individuals like Riley who spread sexist rhetoric online and felt morally entitled to women.

Despite his initial claims of innocence, Riley panicked after the squad found his incriminating online activity. After learning that John had been killed during the attack, Riley confessed to everything. Riley had made friends on a dark web forum for incels and gotten entangled in the nefarious operation.

Riley gave the squad the incel chat group ringleader’s information, leading them to Chris Carnasis, who spilled the beans on the man responsible for organizing the assault-swap organization. Riley Porter ultimately confessed and took a plea deal and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ethan Slater’s TV and film credits include Wicked and more

Slater has built a prolific entertainment career across stage, television, and film, having an affinity for bringing high-energy characters to life, such as the beloved Boq in the Wicked film adaptations. Slater is a Tony-nominated Broadway star best known for starring as the titular character in the original run of The SpongeBob Musical, and its Live on Stage! recording, as well as his various roles in the Broadway hit Spamalot.

Some of Slater’s television credits include Redheads Anonymous, New Mayor of New York, Fosse/Verdon, and Instinct. Some of Slater’s recent television roles include playing Steven in a 2023 episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Officer Reese Chandler in two 2025 episodes of Elsbeth, and playing the nefarious baddie Thomas Godolkin in Gen V, the spinoff of The Boys.

How to watch Ethan Slater’s episode of Law & Order: SVU

You can watch Slater’s episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 20, Episode 4 (“Revenge”) — on Peacock.